U.S. EPA awards more than $ 1.3 million in Recovery Act funding to Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality to reduce diesel emissions and create jobs

(Denver, Colo. – June 26, 2009) In a move that stands to create jobs, boost local economies, reduce diesel emissions and protect human health and the environment for people of Wyoming,the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has awarded $1,340,597to the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality to install clean diesel technologies on construction equipment serving gas production areas in Sublette County, Wyo. These clean diesel projects will create jobs while protecting air quality.

“These Recovery Act funds will help install clean diesel technologies on nearly 100 construction vehicles serving energy production areas in and near Sublette County,” said EPA Acting Regional Administrator, Carol Rushin. “These efforts will achieve emissions reductions in an area that has experienced recent air quality problems and will help create and maintain jobs.”

The funds are provided under the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act (ARRA) of 2009 National Clean Diesel Funding Assistance Program. Under this funding competition, EPA Region 8 alone received 37 grant applications requesting more than $56 million to help fund clean diesel emissions projects. The awards announced today were chosen to both maximize economic impact and emissions reductions.

This project will provide emissions control solutions for non-road construction equipment providing services to the natural gas fields of Sublette County, Wyo. Non-road construction engines will be equipped with 50 diesel oxidation catalysts and 13 diesel particulate filters. More than 25 engines on additional non-road construction equipment will be upgraded or repowered.

In addition to helping create and retain jobs, the clean diesel projects would help to reduce premature deaths, asthma attacks and other respiratory ailments, lost work days, and many other health impacts every year.

The Recovery Act allotted the National Clean Diesel Campaign (NCDC) a total of $300 million, of which the National Clean Diesel Funding Assistance Program received $156 million to fund competitive grants across the nation. The Recovery Act also included $20 million for the National Clean Diesel Emerging Technology Program grants and $30 million for the SmartWay Clean Diesel Finance Program grants.

In addition, under the Act’s State Clean Diesel Grant program, a total of $88.2 million has been provided to States for clean diesel projects through a noncompetitive allocation process.

President Obama signed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 on February 17, 2009 and has directed that the Recovery Act be implemented with unprecedented transparency and accountability. To that end, the American people can see how every dollar is being invested at Recovery.gov.

For information on EPA’s implementation of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 in Colorado, visit: http://www.epa.gov/recovery